Dear Reader, Issue 5, Volume 1
When good habits and inspiration converge.
Dear Reader:
I didn’t feel much like writing these past few weeks. It came in spurts. I finally managed to create a rough draft for my next submission to Elegant Literature’s monthly contest. A fair amount of fine tuning is still required before it’s ready. Publishing “Sink or Sell” on Substack, which won an honorable mention in last month’s issue of Elegant Literature, was not in the original plan. There just wasn’t enough creative juice left in the tank to write another short story.
This is one of the struggles of attempting to publish here on Substack and for paid publication elsewhere, all the while maintaining a full-time job and family. To top it off, I ended up with food poisoning, which resulted in a complete and total lack of energy. Alas, when my innards were empty, and I managed some rest, here I am grateful to be writing once again. Much of that comes down to habit.
Every writer must master the habit of writing, however its form surfaces. In my case, it comes sporadically, at various times of the day or night. Nothing is set in stone; the only requirement is that I continue to pursue this passion. Writing every day is not always possible, nor do I think it’s necessary. I object to any writer that dictates you must write daily. At the same time, I reject the notion that you write only when inspiration strikes.
That leads me to Autumn, which is when inspiration strikes the hottest.
The Inspiration of Autumn
These next few months (September - December) are my most productive and inspiring. Autumn is a beautiful time of year in Michigan. The leaves change color, summer gives way to milder temperatures in the evening, cider mills and apple orchards open, and Halloween is right around the corner. From there it’s on to Thanksgiving and Christmas in the United States, which I love.
Taking advantage of this time is important. I’m already trying my best to start the process, including writing another article for Fictionistas. There’s a very special interview with an editor that I’ve lined up that accompanies the article. If all goes as planned, a great many readers and writers will benefit from his insights. The subject is the art and craft of telling short stories, focusing on the advice from the masters.
With regards to December, I may take some time off from Substack, planning only a single short story, so that I can write a few more companion stories for the collection I want to release early next year. There’s still a lot of research I need to do, including finding the right publish on demand service, producing the work in its entirety and adding my own custom cover illustration. There’s no better time than December, since I’ll have a few weeks off work.
Is there a particular time of day or year when you’re inspired most?
Happy Reading,
Brian Reindel
Regardless of the season I would say I'm usually inspired late at night, which is good and very bad at the same time 😂 to sleep or to write, that is the ongoing question.
I am most inspired in the summer because of the abundance of sunshine (and free time, ha). Sometimes the stress of the school year weighs me down and stunts my creativity. Winter is tough for me, but the plan is to pick skiing back up this winter and get outside more. Hopefully this will offset the blues that always seem to set in!